Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Next is Joel Sour Ortiz, who is in prison for armed robbery and shooting a motorist in the head during a road-rage attack on Raleighs beltline. Officers said excessive overtime work can leave them burned out and exhausted. The current capacity of Lanesboro Correctional Institution is 1,400 adult male inmates. Another direct result of the riot and the handling of the riot was the unification of prisoners. Had there been more, he said, one female officer might never have been assaulted. Some family members believe that the murder may have been connected to an incident that occurred at a convenience store earlier in the week. Seconds later, Ortiz grabs a shank from his waistband and also begins slashing Cook. Reach reporter Imari Scarbrough at 704-994-5471 and follow her on Twitter @ImariScarbrough. Then shelter shared desperate plea, What to Watch Friday: Dateline and 20/20 update Murdaugh murder trial coverage, Mail carrier cant believe his eyes after seeing NC lottery win. But Daniel Roberts, one of the attorneys, told a judge at a court hearing that the videos and other evidence suggest prison officials either sanctioned the attack or looked the other way. SBI officials say theres no proof that happened in the Turner case. Tony Underwood, who headed the Charlotte areas SBI office at the time, said hes still troubled by what investigators learned about Walls relationship with inmates. Leandro Lo, a legendary jiu-jitsu fighter, was killed in Brazil, according to MMA Junkie.He was 33 years old. Dustin Bettis, a former inmate who did time in Lanesboro, told the Observer he saw Wall give a pocket knife to one inmate and a cellphone to another. POLKTON, N.C. -- Authorities in North Carolina say two supervisors were stabbed and two correctional officers were assaulted with a broom handle in an attack at a state prison. Soon afterward, the suspects were escorted into offices where they received medical treatment. But some experts interviewed by the Observer said that's a possibility. Heres how SBI officials say the early afternoon fight unfolded: Shortly before the attack, two of the convicted inmates visited the office of an assistant unit manager. "We've got to find a way to retain the people who work for us," Guice said. She and her colleagues in the Charlotte SBI office were frequently called to investigate crimes there, including officers charged with bringing drugs to inmates. He reportedly belonged to Cooks gang and planned to go to his defense. By Ames Alexander - aalexander@charlotteobserver.com. Since the beginning of 2016, more than 30 stabbings occurred. Its also unclear where Zelays-Sorto and Ortiz go immediately after the meeting breaks up. This story was originally published July 17, 2018, 8:17 PM. The suits also contend that Wall facilitated attacks on two other inmates the same year Turner was killed. The indictment was unsealed today in federal court, following Blythers arrest by the FBI. An official website of the United States government. It was me who was supposed to die that day.. Driver arrested after video shows him nearly hitting students at their school bus stop. At the time, she was responding to a fire that had been set inside the. Wall turns and looks directly into the room where Vazquez waits. The officer who opened the door for the three convicted inmates told SBI agents he did so because he thought the prisoners were returning to their unit following a meal. Once in a lifetime, Murdaugh verdict sends a Lowcountry message: No one is above the law | Opinion, Charlotte Waffle House found with live roach, unclean equipment during health inspection, The top-ranked pie in North Carolina doesnt look like pie at all. Bridges said forensic tests did not conclusively tie any of the weapons in Walls office to the attack on Turner. Accessed March 29, 2018. Correctional officers face significant dangers in their careers both inside and outside of prisons to which they are assigned. Its so dangerous that some officers begin their work days by asking those coming off the previous shift how many assaults theyve just seen. David Mitchell, a Harley-riding former Navy officer brought in to run the prison in 2014, was attacked three times in his first eight months once stabbed in the neck by an inmate wielding a dagger fashioned from melted plastic. And we don't have enough staff to fight back.". All rights reserved. If (prison officials) cant answer that question, why cant they?. Whether corrections officers helped facilitate any of what occurred that day, we dont know, said Tony Underwood, the special agent in charge of the nine-county SBI district that includes Anson and Mecklenburg counties. The confrontation began at about 8:30 a.m., when an inmate assaulted another inmate at . Its time, Cook wrote, to expose why Turner died. The other inmate who was injured is being treated for his injuries. New documents, interviews and a lawsuit paint a picture of a place where some officers seemed to collaborate with gang-affiliated inmates and gave them free rein to roam. In his testimony Tuesday, Wall said he had at one time kept the shanks in a safe in Parsons office but later moved them to his own office. He said I could face an EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) complaint for making false accusations.. "It's not safe," McCoy said. The settlement was reached after the trio and two other state prisoners, Orlando Harshaw and Stacey Wynn, sued Lanesboro Correctional Institution Superintendent Lawrence Parsons and other prison officials for allowing and facilitating attacks by gang members in a part of the prison run by Unit Supervisor Jeffrey E. Wall. Meggan Callahan was killed there allegedly by an inmate who beat her to death with a fire extinguisher. October 2016 - Former correctional officer Scarlette Hodges pleaded guilty to smuggling drugs, tobacco and other contraband to at least one inmate. Soon afterward, Vazquez attacked and killed Turner. Now comes the gesture. [18] An officer at the gate house said Wall was upset and had a gun visible in his car, which violates prison policy. Walls testimony was brief and he did not elaborate on the hidden weapons. He sued and won a $10,000 settlement from the state. I characterize the lack of supervision there as, quite frankly, shocking, Roberts said. Phillip Boney, a former Lanesboro officer, told the Observer that right after the fight, he saw Wall put a shank inside an unlocked wooden podium near the cell block. But it was sometimes hard for prison officers to find those shanks, Parsons said. Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife, son in June 2021. Angela Smith, who worked as an officer at Tabor Correctional Institution from 2010 to 2014, said she was often asked to work overtime because the prison was so understaffed. That was one of three times inmates attacked Mitchell. By Ames Alexander, Gavin Off and Elizabeth Leland. But if another staff member had been standing beside the officer that morning, "there's a possibility (Mosley) would have kept walking," McCoy said. ANSON COUNTY, NC (WBTV) - Three inmates from the Lanesboro Correctional Institute in Polkton have been indicted by an Anson County Grand Jury for the September 28, 2012 murder of a fellow inmate, and an assault on a second inmate. Then he counted the rings, Is red tide present at your favorite Florida beach? The slain officer, Bias Easley, worked at the Lanesboro Correctional Institute, which is located near Wadesboro. Peguese resigned from the system in May 2013, while he was under investigation, said Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Pamela Walker. Attorneys for the state quizzed Wynn why he didnt take steps that might have allowed him to avoid the attack. September 2012 - The stabbing death of inmate Wesley Turner spurred an SBI investigation and led to three felony convictions. For months, Bridges tried to make sense of what she saw at the murder scene and on surveillance video. At Bertie, Callahan was responding to a fire set inside a trash can on the evening of April 26 when an inmate beat her to death with the fire extinguisher she'd brought to douse the flames, state officials say. "If you had more staff, then you might have been looking at hurt staff instead of dead staff" (on the day Callahan died), Harkins said. At least eight Lanesboro officers were caught bringing in drugs, cellphones and tobacco from early 2013 to early 2017, according to law enforcement records. Both inmates are members of MS-13, a powerful Latino gang. Richard Dwyer, a prisoner at Lanesboro Correctional Institution, died Aug. 17 of an apparent suicide, a state Department of Public Safety news release said. U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of North Carolina, FBI Arrests Corrections Officer For Smuggling A Controlled Substance At Lanesboro Correctional Institution, Former Catawba County Director Of Utilities Is Sentenced To Prison For Accepting Bribes, Former Catawba County Director Of Utilities Pleads Guilty To Wire Fraud Conspiracy For Accepting Bribes, North Carolina State Legislator Pleads Guilty To Making A False Statement To A Bank. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety says a lieutenant and a sergeant were stabbed by inmates at Lanesboro Correctional Institution in Polkton around 2 p.m. Thursday. Inmates catch a mid-morning nap at Lanesboro Correctional Institution, in Polkton. He had 43. Surveillance video shows two of the attackers meeting with a unit manager shortly before the attack.. Authorities say prison Sgt. They refuse. The facility houses medium- and close-security inmates. Guards allegedly opened In a court filing, he said he never facilitated attacks. At least 12 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, The Saturday Six: Dental device controversy, scientist's bug find and more, Indonesia fuel depot fire kills 18; more than a dozen missing, 3 children killed, 2 others wounded at Texas home, Man charged for alleged involvement in 2 transformer explosions, Nikki Haley slams potential GOP contenders, and Trump and George W. 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It is a close custody facility, which is the equivalent of maximum security. "If inmates wanted to jump another inmate or take somebody out that day, that would be the time to do it when you're understaffed. State Bureau of Investigation agents say they are examining possible wrongdoing by former Lanesboro officers and cannot discuss the assertions by Vazquezs lawyers. [11] On 16 February 2006, a Brazilian court voided Guimares' conviction because of mistrial claims; the court accepted his argument that he was only "following orders". Bertie isn't the only state prison with staffing problems. Experts say such corruption jeopardizes prison workers, wastes taxpayer dollars and endangers the public. Some facts related to events surrounding the murder of inmate Wesley Turner are drawn from prison surveillance video obtained by the Observer. Main Office: Bridges, 46, a North Carolina State graduate and former Concord police officer, was familiar with Lanesboro. Parsons, now retired, testified Tuesday that during his time at Lanesboro, he took a number of steps to reduce violence and keep weapons out of the hands of inmates. Contact SAP - Penitentiary Administration of So Paulo (Secretaria da Administrao Penitenciria), Brazil, Corrections in So Paulo, So Paulo Brazil. CHARLOTTE, N.C. A federal grand jury sitting in Charlotte has indicted Erice Lemond Blyther, 46, of Hoffman, N.C., for smuggling a controlled substance at Lanesboro Correctional Institution while employed as a correctional officer. As alleged in the indictment, as a correctional officer, Blythers duties included the supervision of inmates, and ensuring safe, secure and orderly prison operations. All charges in the indictment are allegations. October 2014 - Prison administrator David Mitchell was stabbed in the neck by an inmate wielding a plastic shank. He would not discuss the lawsuit or his testimony with an Observer reporter. Located in Polkton, about 45 miles east of Charlotte, Lanesboro has repeatedly drawn. Ronald Covington, a former captain at Lanesboro, testified that Wall appeared to be close to a gang-affiliated inmate. All three belonged to gangs. A spokesman for the N.C. Department of Corrections says two inmates were taken to the hospital. Around 1:30 P.M., two groups got into a fight after a game of football; the fight quickly escalated into a prison riot that lasted three hours. The gashes in the officer's face and neck required 39 stitches. Hodges was sentenced to two years in federal prison. Lanesboro Correctional Institution is a 1,000 cell, high security prison facility located adjacent to Brown Creek Correctional Institution and Anson Correctional Center in Polkton, NC. [24] Consequently, the prosecutor is initiating an appeal and the process remains ongoing. And they say pay increases approved by the legislature in 2015 will also help with recruiting. All three are serving their sentences at other prisons. The slain officer, Bias Easley, worked at the Lanesboro Correctional Institute, which is located near Wadesboro. in Criminal Justice, The Panopticon: The Controversy Over an 18th Century Prison Concept Thats Still in Use Today, Quick Work by Tennessee Correctional Officers Foils Escape Plan, California Correctional Officers Honored for Saving Lives While Off-Duty, Florida Corrections Officer Taken Hostage Found Unharmed, Correctional Center in Nome, Alaska Offers Job Training Workshops to Help Inmates Re-enter Society. It did not appear to be a normal prison relationship that a correctional officer should have with inmates, Underwood said. In Lanesboro, as in many other prisons, gangs often battle for control over drugs and cellphones a lucrative trade for both inmates and corrupt officers. To investigators and the killers lawyers, his meaning seemed clear: Keep your mouth shut. in Justice Studies and M.S. The prison is named for the nearby community of Lanesboro. That works out to about one officer for every 29 inmates. Five years after the murder, Lanesboros problems continue. ". A video taken inside Lanesboro Correctional Institution shows prison officials gesturing to suspects in an inmates 2012 murder to keep their mouths shut after the killing, lawyers who represented one of the suspects said. Many listings are from partners who compensate us, which may influence which They entered their dogs in fights and watched them die. Reporters interviewed Cook in March, two days after he was released from prison. Searches found numerous cellphones, improvised weapons and marijuana. Officers said excessive overtime work can leave them burned out and exhausted. A former high-ranking administrator accused of fostering violence at one of North Carolinas most dangerous prisons acknowledged in federal court Tuesday that he kept homemade weapons such as shanks hidden in the ceiling of his prison office. The CO was reportedly stabbed and suffered heavy bleeding after responding to an inmate fight. The murder, which occurred on Thursday June 5 in the hours before Easley and his father planned to watch the first game of the NBA finals together, left his family devastated. An officer in a control room opened the door for them. Channel 9 has investigated Lanesboro, a maximum-security prison, for years. Inmate Gregorio Cortez Vazquez pleaded guilty earlier this month to second-degree murder in Turners stabbing death and was sentenced to up 16 additional years in prison. In a court filing, Wall denied the federal lawsuit claims, saying he never facilitated attacks or gave gang members preferential treatment. State figures show that in April, when Callahan died, roughly one of every five correctional officer positions at the eastern North Carolina prison was vacant. Wesley Turner, a former inmate at Lanesboro Correctional Institution, was stabbed to death in a 2012 prison fight. The winner, from Charlotte, took her prize as a $600,000 lump sum, officials said. Daniel Roberts, one of the lawyers, said at a sentencing hearing that the footage suggests prison officials may have sanctioned the attack or looked the other way. In 2012, an inmate at Lanesboro Correctional Institution was killed during a gang fight. This morning, Turner had warned Cook that Latino gang members planned to create trouble between the Bloods and the Folks. Fan-favorite Buc-ees gas station confirms new Florida location near Interstate 75, Jo-To Japanese Steak House, a Bradenton-Sarasota landmark for 40 years, to close soon, Ghislaine Maxwell appeals verdict and 20-year sex-trafficking sentence, Judge releases Florida students jailed for posting TikTok videos with Nerf gun filter, Public has a right to know: Lawmakers seek to open Jeffrey Epstein grand jury records, 3 young teens charged with murder after 15-year-old shot in Bradenton, sheriff says, Deputies arrest Parrish student accused of making false tip of school shooting threat, Florida man known as Milkshake pleads guilty to assault in Jan. 6 Capitol Riot. This story was originally published December 4, 2014, 6:58 PM. Turner, 35, had also been serving time for second-degree murder and was scheduled for release in 2017. In a statement to the Observer, N.C. Secretary of Public Safety Frank Perry wrote: Management changes have been made at Lanesboro, but many other initiatives are in the works that include increasing staff, providing additional staff training and partnering with outside law enforcement and investigative agencies.. Moments earlier, the video shows former prison sergeant Jonathan Peguese making the identical gesture toward the office where one of the other suspects was held, the lawyers said. Wall, now 45, wouldnt talk to the Observer. Another officer suffered serious cuts to his face last month after he was assaulted by an inmate with a bladed weapon. [17], After years of national and international pressure, the prison was demolished on 8 December 2002, the former complex having been turned into a park. McCoy heard the officer curse and saw her struggling with an inmate. The incident was reported around1:30 p.m. at theLanesboro Correctional Institution in Polkton. The Killing Consensus: Homicide Detectives, Police that Kill and Organized Crime in Sio Paulo, Brazil. He said the injuries he suffered in the 2011 attack have made it impossible for him to lift much weight above his head or work some prison jobs. Angela Smith, who worked as. The police released their dogs in the barber shop, where the wounded prisoners were taken. He died helping me, Cook wrote in a letter to the Observer. "When you don't have adequate staff to manage the inmates, and there's an incident, unfortunately people can get hurt and sometimes people even die," Webster said. In court documents, Parsons has denied that. Soon afterward, a corrections officer allowed the inmates into the pod where the murder took place. 1992 military police killing of prisoners in Brazil, Act in memoriam of 111 prisoners dead in the incident. B.S. Updated: 4:34 PM EST November 9, 2012. State officials say they are working to improve conditions at Lanesboro. Some family members believe that the murder may have been . Officers and staff have orchestrated illegal smuggling operations, beaten shackled inmates and engaged in sex with prisoners. On the morning of Sept. 28, 2012, the day that Turner was stabbed to death, there were rumors of potential violence. Jurors deliberated for about half an hour before convicting Mikel. in Criminal Justice - Corrections, and M.S. 13, 2000)", "The stories and horrors in Brazil's penal system", "Outrage: 24 Years Later, Carandiru Prison Massacre of 111 is Called Self Defense", "Police officers get 156 years for 1992 Brazilian prison massacre", "Carandiru Massacre's Defining Moment for Brazil - Fair Observer", "Brazil's prison massacres are a frightening window into gang warfare", "Brazil police jailed for prison 'massacre', "Brazil police sentenced over Carandiru jail massacre", "Brazil Carandiru jail massacre police guilty", "15 police guilty in Brazil prison killings", "UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS, Office of the High Commissioner South America", "16 Brazil declares trial on Carandiru massacre null in shocking blow for justice", "Appeal begins in Brazil against acquittal of 74 police", "Opinion | Brazil's Deadly Prison System", "Sepultura's 'Chaos A.D.' Is the Anti-Colonial Rallying Cry that Thrash has Always Needed", Federal Correctional Institution, Talladega riot, Arizona State Prison Complex Lewis riot, United States Penitentiary, Florence riot, Agricultural Penitentiary of Monte Cristo riot, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carandiru_massacre&oldid=1140965457, People shot dead by law enforcement officers in Brazil, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing Portuguese-language text, Articles needing additional references from September 2018, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, The massacre is the subject of the song "Manifest" on the, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 17:49. Correctional officers were also prohibited from accepting gifts from inmates, performing favors for inmates, or providing inmates with narcotic drugs or any other item forbidden by LCI rules. "I think if I hadn't gotten over there in time, (Mosley) probably would have cut her throat," McCoy said. Wesley Turnerwas stabbed to death and taken to Anson Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to the N.C. Department of Public Safety. [12] Guimares, who was also a member of the So Paulo state legislature, was assassinated in September 2006. Parsons declined to talk with the Observer about that and other allegations. He joined the Folk Nation at age 16, was convicted of damaging property soon afterward, and later committed armed robbery, kidnapping and more than a dozen other crimes. Zelaya-Sorto did reply to the Observer, but wrote only: Este caso esta serado This case is closed.. They have nothing to worry about, Wall told the officer, according to the document, because if I wanted to get anyone, I could get them touched from the outside.. State prison leaders say they are holding many hiring events and partnering with schools and military bases to fill jobs. November 2014 - Five former Lanesboro inmates filed a federal lawsuit alleging that officers at the Anson County prison repeatedly helped gang-affiliated inmates get weapons and wage attacks. A spokesman for the N.C. Department of Corrections says two inmates were taken to the hospital. Wall was transferred to work at a different prison while under investigation in July 2013. The FBI investigated the case. The man turns and looks directly into the room. But SBI agent Audria Bridges, who led the investigation, said she was troubled to learn that inmates at the prison roamed freely in areas they should not have been in.. By Ames Alexander - aalexander@charlotteobserver.com. Once in a lifetime, After years of negotiations, GOP leaders reach a breakthrough on Medicaid expansion, Alex Murdaughs attorneys say theyll appeal double-murder conviction, 16-year-old Raleigh teen charged with murder in Robeson County killing, The evidence was clear: Murdaugh juror reveals quick deliberation in SC murder trial, Day 29: Murdaugh sentenced to life, attorneys say theyll appeal to US Supreme Court if needed, What were the deciding factors in the Murdaugh guilty verdict? You're tired. November 2013 - A gang member cut a correctional officer three times on the neck and face, requiring 39 stitches, according to a police report. He stares into the office for a few moments before walking away. He pleads with two other inmates to lend him a weapon. No, I dont think he would have.. The North Carolina . The inmate was identified as 35-year-old Wesley Turner in a news release from N.C . His name has not been released. Prison officials investigated the murder, but refused to provide the Observer their report. Wynn alleges that Parsons was willfully and deliberately indifferent to his safety, in violation of his Constitutional right to protection from cruel and unusual punishment. According to charges contained in the federal indictment, Blyther worked as a correctional officer at the Lanesboro Correctional Institution (LCI), since renamed Anson Correctional Institution, a state prison located in Polkton, North Carolina. Palmetto man sentenced to life in prison after stabbing wife to death, faking intruder, He found a clam on a Florida beach to make some chowder. On the video, Cook, 41, is the tall inmate gesturing to other prisoners. Hours after the murder, video also shows Wall gesturing to the killer. But local law enforcement officials are optimistic about changes at Lanesboro. Finding people who are willing to work as prison officers isn't easy. Angela Smith, who worked as an officer at Tabor Correctional Institution from 2010 to 2014, said she was often asked to work overtime because the prison was so understaffed. Bridges said she reviewed hours of surveillance video and saw that inmates frequently visited the office of an assistant prison manager a practice that she believed posed a danger to officers. Subsequent searches found numerous cellphones, improvised weapons and marijuana. One Polk officer made $29,800 in salary in 2015. [5] No policemen were injured. A prison officer and two inmates were injured during a fight at Lanesboro Correctional Institution Thursday morning, state prison officials said. Other prison staff members showed him where it was, he said. Officers sprint in behind Wall, cornering the three attackers. [13] Although not entirely certain, his death was likely the result of his role in the massacre. Its clearly not a place where theyre learning to go the straight and narrow, he said. Wall told Bridges that he was asking about rumors of a planned attack on him. Ortiz was sentenced to 37 to 57 months. The massacre has also sparked ongoing discussions, both in Brazil and internationally about Brazil's prison system. Dawe, whose group shares research to help correctional officers, said that prison leaders who operate without sufficient staff "roll the dice with people's lives.".